NHL playoffs

Los Angeles' Anze Kopitar (left) joins teammates Justin Williams and Slava Voynov (obscured) in celebrating Voynov's game-winning goal in overtime during Game 5 of Wednesday's Western Conference quarterfinals in St. Louis. At right is the Blues' Jaden Schwartz. The Kings won, 3-2.Chris Lee/St. Louis Post-Dispatch/AP Photo

Published May 09. 2013 4:00AM

Associated Press

Publication: The Day

Kings 3, Blues 2 (OT)

Los Angeles had every reason to be deflated.

Instead, it's going home with a chance to wrap up its first-round series against St. Louis because it refused to let it a letdown linger.

Defenseman Slava Voynov scored on an odd-man rush eight minutes into overtime and the defending Stanley Cup champions, after surrendering the lead in the final minute of regulation, beat the Blues for the third straight time with a win Wednesday night.

"We are a resilient group," said Jeff Carter, who had the Kings' other two goals. "A lot of guys have been through a lot of different experiences over their careers and I think we all kind of draw off that.

"We don't get too high, we don't get too low, and that's a big thing for us."

Game 6 is in Los Angeles on Friday night and the Kings have won nine in a row at home, including the regular season.

Blues rookie Jaden Schwartz took Voynov's winner hard, smashing his stick several times against the sideboards and glass before leaving the ice.

"We lost an important hockey game. Frustration is definitely part of it," Schwartz said. "We live to fight another day."

Coach Ken Hitchcock didn't sound at all defeated, calling Game 5 the team's best overall effort of the series and calling overtime "a crapshoot."

"If we play like that again, I like our chances," Hitchcock said. "All we've got to do is win a road game and get it back here."

Alex Pietrangelo scored on a wrist shot from the point with 44.1 seconds remaining in regulation and goalie Brian Elliott off for an extra attacker. That forced overtime for the second time in the series, and was the third goal in the final minute of the third period in the series.

"I saw him release it," Quick said. "Usually when you see it come off the stick you have a better chance of stopping it, but I just couldn't seem to pick it up, so it was disappointing at the time.

"But we were able to bounce back and get one there in overtime, which was huge."

All five games have been decided by one goal, the only first-round series with that distinction.

The Kings ended the Blues' eight-game home win streak in which Elliott allowed one goal each time.

Carter scored in the opening minute of the second and third periods and Quick had another strong game for the Kings, the first road team to win in the series.

"I think it's very important for us to win on the road because we played so hard the last couple of games in St. Louis," Voynov said. "So it will be a little bit easier for us to play in Los Angeles, where are fans are."

Ducks 3, Red Wings 2 (OT)

Nick Bonino scored 1:54 into overtime, and the Ducks moved to the brink of the second round.

Defenseman Ben Lovejoy took the puck behind the Detroit net and fed it in front. Bonino scored for the Ducks, who took a 3-2 series lead.

Game 6 is Friday night at Joe Louis Arena, where the Ducks will attempt to close out just their second playoff series victory since winning the Stanley Cup in 2007.

Johan Franzen and Mikael Samuelsson scored for the Red Wings, who had two brief leads. Jimmy Howard stopped 31 shots.

Captain Ryan Getzlaf tied it, Kyle Palmieri also scored, and Jonas Hiller made 29 saves in Anaheim's first victory in three overtime games in the series.